5 Outdoor Activities with Children Under 2

Tomorrow is officially the first day of spring, and there is no better time than now to share our favorite outdoor activities for children under 2.

Let’s face it, this was a long winter and its not fun being stuck inside when you’re a mobile 1-year-old. There is still a bit of snow on the ground but it’s melting revealing wet but promising greenery underneath. I have been trying to get creative and find new ways to entertain my daughter, who doesn’t sit still for more than a few seconds. I figured it would be a good idea to share some of the activities we have been enjoying together. Maybe it might help you find a new activity to do with your child and one that also allows them to explore new things as well.

We try to take daily walks to not only get in some exercise but because Penelope demands to be pushed around in her stroller all day long. I don’t mind because it’s a chance for us to spend some time outside, listen to the birds chirping and watch the bugs and critters everywhere. Which brings me to my first activity and one we’ve been really liking lately.

Build a bird feeder and learn about birds

We made this cute bird feeder with Penelope and we hung it in our backyard so we could see it from the windows. It attracts many different kinds of birds and she could spend a long time just watching them eat and fly around. It was a great project to let her help build the feeder and then hanging it with us and watching all the birds come. Its become one of her favorite things to do outside now, we will sit and count and name the different birds.

We used this as the inspiration for our bird feeder.

Nature Walks

We love going on walks together, and it’s an activity we try to do daily. She was walking a lot earlier than I would have expected and even thou she is pretty confident on her two feet now, but the uneven ground can still catch her off guard. So I bring the stroller if its a long walk, or I’ll just carry the baby carrier and let her walk as much as she wants. We usually talk about the leaves, collect sticks and see how many different animals we can find. It’s a great way to explore and teach our toddlers about the world around them.

A Scavenger Hunt

I love doing scavenger hunts, and when I used to teach kindergarten we would make our own print outs with pictures and easy words for the children. Depending on the child’s age and developmental stage you can tailor a scavenger hunt for just about any young age. It will teach them to match, recognize words, sounds and so much more.

This is a good resource for scavenger hunt print outs.

Visit a Farm

Another fun thing to do with your toddler this spring is to visit a farm. It’s fun to go in the spring and see all the baby animals, and who doesn’t love babies. I found she was so amazed by seeing the cows, baby chicks and even the baby pigs.

Do Some Gardening

Most kids love playing in dirt and gardening is the perfect excuse to let them help you. I found a few kids gardening tools on amazon and it will keep Penelope occupied for hours!

Visit a Zoo

We recently took Penelope to the zoo for the first time and she loved it! She loved seeing all the animals and recognized them from the books we have at home. She didn’t stop talking about the giraffes for weeks and I can’t wait to take her back again soon.

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